good morning. breaking news, a defense department official tells nbc news a u.s. f-15 fighter jet has crashed in libya. we are live with the latest on the fate of the crew. back to work. crews return to the damaged nuclear plant in japan to try to stop the smoke, steam and radiation that's escaping. this morning they have hit a new snag when it comes to re-establishing power to the facility. and sorry, charlie. just two weeks after giving him the boot, cbs is reportedly in talks to bring charlie sheen back to "two and a half men." but after everything each side has said, can anyone say they are winning today?

has said, can anyone say they are winning today? tuesday, march 22, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry in for meredith. the crash of a u.s. fighter jet happened overnight near the city of benghazi. the cause was likely mechanical. >> the pilots ejected and one crew member has been recovered. the other is what they are calling in the process of being recovered. let's get to jim miklaszewski. what can you tell us? >> reporter: you're right. search and rescue efforts continue for one of two crew members aboard the u.s. air force f-15 eagle when it crashed east of benghazi in libya overnight. they were on a routine mission enforcing the no-fly zone when

apparently the f-15 experienced some kind of mechanical difficulty. the pilots couldn't save the aircraft. it crashed into a field while the two safely ejected. one of the crew members was recovered shortly after the plane went down. the other, as you can imagine, since they were widely separated after their chutes deployed, was actually not taken into custody but taken into the care of some of the opposition forces. he has since separated from those forces, is in contact with search and rescue crews. they expect that he should be recovered shortly. it is believed that the second crew member who is still on the ground in libya suffered some kind of minor injuries. the first crew member who was recovered safely is reported to be in good condition. >> it seems this was a mechanical failure as opposed to hostile fire. >> reporter: right. there is no evidence that there

was hostile fire in the area at the time. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. thank you, as always. richard engel is in tabruk, libya. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the people and rebels here in eastern libya are deeply appreciative of the u.s. military help. we have seen thumbs-up for france, thumbs-up for obama. it's clear that the rebels are completely dependent on foreign military assistance. the evidence of u.s. and allied air assaults is now clear. air and missile strikes, including new ones overnight, have wiped out receive of gadhafi's military units, destroyed command and control sites around tripoli and even targeted gadhafi's own compound, filled for days with hundreds of volunteer human shields. they have succeeded in protecting the people in rebel-held eastern libya.

rebels say these government or mored vehicles and or tillery were headed into ben gs ghazi when they were attacked by western air strikes. if this much firepower had reached the poorly defended city gadhafi would almost certainly have retaken ben gsghazi. >> they would be destroyed completely. >> reporter: president obama stressed saving civilians was a primary goal. >> that a leader who has lost his legitimacy, decides to turn his military on his own people, we can't simply stand by with empty words. >> reporter: if the unstated mission is also to help rebels launch a counterattack on gadhafi, that has yet to materialize. on a highway outside tobruk we saw rebels headed to the front line. they showed weapons seized from gadhafi's smashed army unit.

[ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: we have decided to die or live in dignity, he said. as we watched they barely knew how to load weapons and they don't know who their leaders are. minutes later the rebels drove off to face gadhafi's forces, dug in a few hundred miles away in ajdabyia. many were wounded and at least seven killed. the strategy seems to be to let western military power carry them to tripoli, but there is already confusion and tension over who will lead military operations as the u.s. tries to hand over control. once this air and military assistance is provided to the rebels they feel it is an essential part of the campaign. it's difficult to take it away. >> richard engel in libya this morning. as always, thank you very much. arizona republican senator john mccain is the ranking member on the armed services committee.

nice to see you. thanks for joining us. >> thank you, matt. >> the crash of the f-15 reminds us that this is a risky operation. over the weekend you were critical of the president saying he waited too long to intervene in libya. you said, if we had taken this step a couple of weeks ago, a no-fly zone would have been enough. now a no-fly zone is not enough. there need to be other efforts made. what are those efforts now? >> well, i think to continue the no-fly zone effort and make it very clear to libyan pro-gadhafi troops that if they leave their barracks they are putting their lives at risk, just as the libyan pilots seem to have gotten the message since they are not flying. and also, we are going to have to have -- iffacilitate trainin of the rebels over time. a stalemate is a very bad

outcome here. american policy is that gadhafi must go. >> you talk about a stalemate and obviously the u.s. wants to step back here. the president said we would transition the lead in this to other nations in days, not weeks. from what you are seeing of the relative dis organizatiorganiza rebels do you fear they won't be able to get it together soon enough to allow us to get out of there? >> i think the president is saying he'll give the coalition partners the lead. that doesn't mean the u.s.le would stop air operations and enforcement of the no-fly zone. i wish we would spend more time defeating gadhafi. we know he was responsible for pan-am 103. he should be removed from power with training and equipment, i believele that the anti-gadhafi forces can prevail. it was a very near thing in

benghazi as was just reported by richard engel. morale is a very interesting thing. for a while the anti-government forces had the initiative and lost it due to gadhafi's capability and air power. now i think it can swing back again. i don't think the libyans owe anything to gadhafi. >> do we know enough about the rebels, senator? do we know who they are, who their leader is, what they believe, how they feel about the united states -- not just in the short term while we are helping against gadhafi but in the long term? >> i think they know they were under the rule of one of the most brutal and dictators in th world. if gadhafi prevailed in benghazi there would have been a

separanitza multiplied by a hundred. the french recognize them. there are always risks involved here. but to have gadhafi remain in power and carry out the kind of brutality he's shown he's capable of, i think, is unacceptable. >> senator john mccain, nice to have you. thank you very much. >> thank you, matt. >> nine minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> matt, there are sign that is the situation that damaged the nuclear plant in japan could be stabilizing but the concern is far from over. we have robert bazell in tokyo again this morning with more on the story. bob, good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. of course it's nighttime in tokyo. last night at this time the radiation levels in the nuclear power plant went as high as they have been at any time since the accident. during the day today they came down again. it's an up and down situation

and it's clear that the efforts to stabilize the reactors are far from over. with smoke, steam and radiation still escaping from the reactors, all workers were back on the job today at the crippled fukushima site picking up where they left off after some were evacuated monday. efforts to get electricity to run pumps have run into snags with much of the equipment damaged beyond repair. this sports arena near tokyo is home to 2,300 people from fukushima prefecture. some lost homes. others are radiation refugees, forced to flee the air. juko's husband works at the plant and is now part of the effort to contain it. she and her 5-year-old son were forced to flee. her husband can only call her. she can't contact him. she's very worried. in the disaster zone there is much misery. thousands homeless looking for

aid to arrive. there is still worry over radiation in food. milk from fukushima and leafy vegetables from a large area of northern japan are now banned. now radiation has been detected in sea water near the plant. although officials say the levels pose no risk to humans, there is clear concern. this woman in tokyo asked if the rain will contaminate her. then there is the overwhelming task of cleanup and recovery as many search for loved ones still missing. 24-year-old taylor anderson of richmond, virginia, was an english teacher living in the miyagi prefecture. >> she was living her dream. >> reporter: taylor helped get the children out of the school when the earthquake hit, waiting until parents arrived. for days her parents waited for news of taylor. >> i wanted to touch her, feel her, listen to her, hear her voice. >> reporter: her body was found

monday. the first american among thousands of japanese known to have perished in the zadisaster. as the search labors on, another american family is waiting to hear from 26-year-old monty dixon. he belonged to the same program as taylor, teaching english in another area ravaged by the tsunami. his family in alaska is consumed by worry. >> the grief is overwhelming. >> reporter: we wish them the best. there are so many sad stories, ann, with the earthquake and tsunami and the nuclear power plant. there is another american angle on the nuclear issue which is that a waft of the cloud was detected in seattle today indicating slight traces of radiation. if people have a hard time realizing that it is not a significant amount of radiation, it is still a worry to people and they have to be reassured.

very different from the area near the site where there is a serious and ongoing nuclear emergency. ann? >> robert bazell this morning. thanks. >> james acton, good morning. >> good morning. >> first i want to ask you about the a.p. report that's quoting a japanese safety official saying that a pool for storing spent fuel is heating up and is now around the boiling point and may have been the source for the steam that raised concern on monday. if true, how significant? >> we have seen over the last few days increasing concern about the state of the spent fuel cores. if the water is boiling it does create concern because it might evaporate. at that point there is the risk of the fuel rods overheating. but if the pool is boiling and there is a lot of water there is likely to be substantial time to solve the problem. this is a matter of concern but

not of grave concern yet. >> so much has been happening regarding the nuclear power plant and its reactors, i think it's difficult for all of us to understand this. bottom line, given the conditions over the past week plus, are we any closer to being safe than we were a week ago regarding this possibilitiy of catastrophic release of radiation? >> we are, but we are certainly not out of the woods yet. you know, i woke up every morning during the first six or seven days of the crisis -- maybe five or six -- and every morning there was some major new piece of bad news. this crisis for the first week was in a situation where it was deteriorating relatively quickly. we still had bad news over the past few days but it hasn't been as bad and furious as the news items in the first week of the crisis. and there are the tiniest bits

of good news coming through. >> robert bazell reported cement trucks rolling to the nuclear power plant. the idea being that they would use a special mixture to entomb these rods. has this procedure ever been used on nuclear reactors in the state that the fukushima reactors are in? >> i haven't had enough information to know whether what they are trying to do here is similar to the entombment of the chernobyl reactor in 1986. the fact that they are considering this clearly demonstrates the gravity of the situation. >> james acton, thanks for giving us perspective on this. >> thank you. >> coming up in the next half hour, a glimpse inside a working nuclear plant in the united states. how do they monitor the reactors and the cooling pools for spent

fuel rods. we'll get a firsthand look this morning. >> let us look at the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie is at the news desk covering for ann. good morning. >> good morning. we just received word in to nbc news that both u.s. airmen on the jet that crashed in libya this morning are safe. we'll have more details later on as jim miklaszewski was reporting the details there. president obama will head to el salvador to deal with issues of rising crime. in chile on monday with the wave of revolutions in the middle east in mind the president called latin america a modelle for post dictatorship democracy. yemen's president saleh says he is willing to step down at the end of the year following last friday's bloody crackdown on protesters that killed at least 40 people. saleh is a long-time u.s. ally and a partner in the fight

against a wing of al qaeda in that country. about 100 homes have been evacuated and hundreds of others on stand-by near denver, colorado, as 40 miles per hour winds stoke a wildfire over the drought-ridden area. the fire scorched some 850 acres near golden, colorado. japan's nikkei is rebounding. melissa lee has the latest. good morning. >> good morning. it was a 4.4% gain overnight in japan. this after friday's strong performance yesterday, monday was a holiday. banks and reconstruction companies like steel companies were strong overnight. still, we should keep in mind that the japanese markets are below prequake levels by about 8%. as for u.s. markets here, well, we had a nice 1.5% gain across the board yesterday, but still tensions in the middle east weigh with gold traditionally viewed as a safe haven play up for five administration sessions today hitting a new record.

natalie. >> thank you. and former president george h.w. bush was honored last night in washington for his lifetime commitment to volunteerism and leadership at the points of light institute. three other former presidents were there including jimmy carter, bill clinton and, of course, his son george w. bush along with the whole bush clan there and many from hollywood. so a great honor to him. very nice. 7:18. back to matt, ann and al. >> congratulations. all right,

>> good morning. we are starting the day with in a little bit of fog in some neighborhoods, but no rain. that could come back this evening at. today, a mixture of sunshine and clouds and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. coming up, after everything he said, is cbs actually negotiating charlie sheen's return to "two and a half men"? we'll have new details. but first this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, the alleged bully who was slammed to the ground by a fed-up teen speaks out for the first time. why he says the video doesn't tell the whole story. >> he was picking on a guy bigger than him. plus, a break from tradition. new details on how kate middleton will arrive at westminster abbey on her wedding day. first your local news and weather. belongs to the doers.time those of us who know grass doesn't turn green just because the calendar says to. and that a big difference can grow from a small budget. for those of us with grass on our sneakers... dirt on our jeans... and a lawn that's as healthy as our savings... the days are about to get a whole lot greener. ♪ more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we're lowering the cost of a day in the dirt with a special buy on this mulch, three bags are just ten bucks.

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i wear what i love, because expression means everything. ♪ too hot to trot some say i'm one-of-a-kind. i say i'm so chico's. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. time for a check on the morning commute. hi, sarah. >> on 195, we still have an accident taking up the right lane. watch for delays that lead up from 100 to the accident scene. southbound on i-95 at 212, we

are dealing with an accident at powder mill road. outer loop on the ramp to 95, watch for a crash reported. another one in the city and wabash ave and liberty heights. route 22 and appeared to hill road, there is an accident wrapping up. 22, everything looking good as well, 24. outer loop, a pretty heavy. that is the heaviest delay approaching the 795 to edmondson. this harford road, going away from us on the of loop. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. tony, over to you. >> we have a little bit of fog, but no rain to contend with. 48 at the airport, 44 in taneytown.

we should sneak into the low 60s this afternoon. maybe they this afternoon, this evening, we will see women coming back into the picture. -- we will see rain coming back to the picture. 40s on the weekend. a chesterland little les -- chance for a little rain or snow. >> we are back at 7:55 with another live update.

7:30 on a tuesday morning. it's the 22nd of march, 2011. a little more like it this morning. sunshine out there, going up into the 50s. but brace yourself if you live here in the northeast tomorrow morning you should be waking up to snow. >> there was snow yesterday, a little bit anyway. >> welcome to spring. >> crazy. >> inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. just ahead, new perspective on an unfolding crisis in japan through an extraordinary look inside a u.s. nuclear power plant. for the first time ever our cameras were allowed in the controlle ro room of a plant any

visited the cooling pools where spent fuel rods are kept. >> also ahead, more details about the royal wedding. we now know how kate middleton will arrive at westminster abbey. she's decided to break from tradition. we'll take you on a tour of the area where the carriages are prepared for the post ceremony procession. >> when a friend or co-worker shares bad news, do you sometimes struggle to find the right words? what do you say to someone who lost a loved one, a job or is going through a divorce? we have advice for handling uncomfortable situations that can leave people tongue-tied. >> let's begin with charlie sheen. he may be welcomed back to "two and a half men," but there is a catch. nbc's jeff rossen joins us. he first broke the story and this morning is in florida with the latest. hey, jeff. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. hard to believe, isn't it? after everything that's happened, after everything that's been said by both sides

but cbs, according to the charlie sheen camp, has approached them saying, we want you back on "two and a half men." but there is a big catch you mentioned. first charlie sheen would have to settle his differences -- and they are big differences -- with the people who produce the show, chuck lorre and warner brothers. >> warner brothers, duh, winning. >> reporter: don't laugh. he may be right. charlie sheen has called his former bosses every name in the book. now sources say they are willing to move past it and take him back. on his web cast sheen said this answer les moonves. >> you gave me your word, so in turn you gave me nothing. it must really suck being your missus, the promise of getting something yet receiving nothing. >> reporter: in our interview here on "today" sheen said this. >> everybody thinks i should be begging for my job back. i'm just going to forewarn them that it's everybody else that will be begging me for their job

back. >> reporter: do you owe cbs an apology? >> no, they owe me a big one while licking my feet. >> reporter: cbs is ready to play ball, welcoming charlie home if he can settle his differences with warner brothers and perhaps more challenging his war with chuck lorre. >> hiya chuck, you cheeseball. where are you hiding, silly clown? you are no match for this warlock. my power will consume you every losing day, ugly whore. >> reporter: can you share a stage with him again. >> i'm open to it if he is. >> reporter: do you think he is? >> if he'd come out of hiding you could ask him. >> reporter: warner brothers said he's very ill. he said his termination is a conspiracy fuelled by lorre's ego, laziness and ill-will

toward mr. sheen. in hollywood the only thing that eclipses big ego is big money which insiders say is going on here. cbs could overlook the embarrassment -- >> liars and fools, all of them. >> reporter: to get their money-making star back on the air. >> there are a lot of hurdles that would have to be jumped for charlie sheen to return to "two and a half men." stranger things have happened in hollywood. there is a long history of people burying the hatchet when the deal is right. >> reporter: apparently moonves is willing to manage sheen himself, taking chuck lorre off the hook allowing him to work on his other sit comes or create another one. sheen told me over and over again he would. >> i signed for next year. being a man of my word i will be there with bells on. >> reporter: sheen has a lot going on now. in less than two weeks he begins

the one-man live tour, the stage show he sold out venues in detroit, chicago, new york city. last night he made a surprise appearance on jimmy kimmell. you can see he kissed jimmy right on the lips. ever the showman. the real question, will he return to "two and a half men"? discussions are ongoing. it is not a done deal yet? >> all right, jeff. thank you very much. we have linda kenny batten, a trial attorney and steve dubato, a media analyst and author of "what were they thinking." steve, first of all, this is from a well-placed source within charlie sheen's camp. do you buy it? >> no. >> why not? >> look, you look at jeff's piece and the words communicated by cbs are so clear, by time warner. look, anything can happen, particularly if you're looking for the money and you don't think because you have tested other people to replace charlie

sheen you say, hey, it may not work. but i have never seen a situation in the media, in show business where such horrific things were said about your employer so quickly. just a short time ago. out of control. what do you say? never mind. we didn't mean it. they better have tested a lot of people and they better be ready for a very negative public reaction to this. >> what doesn't change your mind is the argument that the numbers of the broadcast have gone up? >> they have gone up because he's a nut job. what i mean is it's a freak show. they are looking at charlie sheen in the past. they are looking at reruns of the show. i don't believe charlie sheen, as he presents himself today, as he looks today, as he is today is the same character and i don't believe it sells in the way it did before which made that money. he's a freak show now. that's not what i believe they are looking for on a weekly sit com on a network. >> what about the lawyer?

what do you have to say? >> he is hashtag winning. he will bat in the grand slam for moonves. charlie sheen become as robin hood for the cast, gets them the money, become it is rainmaker for les moonves. the ratings of the show would be bigger than "today," bigger than the super bowl. this is an amazing win for charlie sheen if this happens. >> i know you're talking a little bit outside of school because you're really a lawyer. are there legal reasons why cbs would consider this? >> sure. in my opinion they are going to owe him a lot of money either on the breach of contact or the discrimination issues. so it's cheaper to settle this. they can both be winners. cbs can be a winner. les moonves can look like a hero. charlie sheen is a winner, the cast is a winner. the public wants him back on the

show. >> steve is chomping at the bit. >> linda, the public wants a diversion from horrible things going on. the public wants a diversion from japan, libya. the horrible, real things going on. but they want a freak show. charlie sheen going on jimmy kimmel and kissing him, that's fine. but it's not the same as going to a weekly, family sit com. >> oh, no, no. >> listen. >> no, no. >> this guy -- one second, linda. he's a father who's advocated his responsibility as a father, an adult and the bottom line is get some help, charlie. you're sick. >> follow the money, steve. it's about the money. >> all about the hundred? >> it has nothing to do with the morality. it's money. >> i didn't say morality. there has to be decency on television. i'm not a prude but it shouldn't be all about money. >> you're thinking 20th century. his twitter has 3 million

people. he's more politically loved than most people in the united states. >> send a message to the kids that you have to apologize, take responsibility and some sense of accountability. >> linda and steve, we're going to find out what is the truth about network television, whether it's all about money or morality. that's still to come. thanks to you both. now a check of the weather from al roker. >> thanks, ann. we have warm weather to talk about in the southeast. we've got a big storm -- another big storm coming into california. winter storm watches and warnings in the sierra. northern california, flood watches for the central valleys. look at the rainfall amounts. one to three inches of rain causing more flooding and massive mountain snows. up to 24 inches or more in the central sierra. >> we are off to a quiet start, but there is a chance for rain

coming back into the picture after 6:00 or 7:00. high temperatures expected in the low 60s. got some great folks here from the leukemia and lymphoma society that ran the half marathon over the weekend. nicely done. all right. ann? >> all right, al. thanks. still ahead the alleged bully slammed to the ground by the boy he was tormenting speaks out. why he says he, too, was a victim. first these messages. [ robin ] my name is robin. and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix,

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we're back at 7:42. in japan many have raised concern about the 104 nuclear plants here in the u.s. tom costello is at the waterford iii nuclear power plant in louisiana with a rare look inside. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. that's the nuclear core behind me in the containment building. to demystify nuclear power and underscore how safe it is we were given extraordinary access to the control room, the cement casing around the nuclear core and to the massivele pools that hold the radioactive spent fuel rod. the waterford 3 cranks out 10% of louisiana's power. getting inside requires passing through layers of security and massive watertight doors to keep

the worst of the mississippi out. hurricane and flood levels 30 feet above sea level. first to the control room which monitors everything inside the reactor, the cooling pumps and the pool holding spent fuel rods. the concern is they don't want to distract operators behind the glass. they are under stricture instructi -- strict instructions to pay no attention to us. in the u.s. there are two types of reactors. boiling water reactors, the type used in japan, and pressurized water reactors like this one. pressurized water reactors, water is pumped to the core where it is heated. it flows then to a steam generator to turn the turbines and create electricity. pressurized steam is not radioactivele while the steam from boiling reactors is.

in here sits the nuclear core. then up a long, narrow flight of stairs we were given unprecedented access to the massive pool that holds every spent nuclear fuel rod ever used at this plant -- 345,000 of them. this is it. 25 years of spent fuel rods are resting now in 360,000 gallons of water. the heat from the rods keeps the water at about 90 degrees, but up here, 23 feet of water between me and the rods, the risk of radiation exposure is near zero. keeping them submerged in water is critical. >> if we lost the water it would take about three days for the spent fuel pool to heat to boiling and 18 days before that would boil down to the point where we would be exposing the fuel. >> reporter: in japan the backup

systems were destroyed by the tsunami, but the plant insists it has multiple backup systems to keep the power and water flowing. during hurricane katrina it ran for five days on generators, giving time for the electric grid to come back up. >> if done right there is little risk. we have to make sure it's done right. >> reporter: the walls of the plant are built to with stand much more than hurricane katrina. there was zero flooding here at that time. they will be moving the radioactive fuel rods in the containment pool to cement casks on property where they will stay for thousands of years. despite our trip through the plant, despite standing over the pool with the rods below me, we had zero on our dosometers showing zero radiation exposure by the time we walked out. back to you. >> it's a fascinating look.

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he want cash! want better rewards? peggy? switch to discover. america's number 1 cash rewards program. it pays to discover. with less than 38 days to go it's crunch time now for the royal wedding. this morning we have new details about the big day and the horsedrawn carriages that will carry the couple and their families. michelle kosinski got a rare look inside the mews where they are kept in tip-top shape and the horses are pampered. good morning. >> reporter: it strikes you the tradition surrounding this. who gets to ride in a gold-plated carriage? maybe cinderella or royalty. there are hundreds to choose from and on the wedding day five will be used with 18 horses.

you just can't miss them, can you? when a four-ton gold mini palace on wheels rolls by, you know somebody kind of important is inside. carriages are jewels in the crown of british pageantry. big, small, contained, convertible, velvety inside and draped in the symbols of power. now with a royal wedding bearing down it's time. >> we always have emergency vehicles literally in case the wheel falls off. >> reporter: kate middleton is breaking with tradition and will not arrive in the famous glass coach used by diana and the queen. the whole wedding party will arrive by car. kate in the same rolls phantom attacked by student protesters terrorizing prince charles and

camilla. after the wedding the coaches come out. harry and the bridesmaids will go low key while william and kate will be shown off like jewels themselves just like charles and diana. the mandatory goal for the royal mews is no mishaps. >> horses are unpredictable. >> reporter: but the carriages are trusty. queen elizabeth used it but shele really liked this one. a gift from australia in 1988 complete with air conditioning and power windows. mark har grooefs is the queen's personal coachman. that's a huge responsibility. >> it is a bit of pressure. >> reporter: you can't hit potholes or splashes. >> no. >> reporter: do you ever try to go over a ramp and catch some air in one of those things? >> it would be nice, wouldn't it? >> reporter: for those who work hard to make everything drk a-- we mean everything -- picture

perfect the finished product is worth it. >> it is very important that we get it right because, as you know, the eyes of the world will be upon us on the 29th of april. >> reporter: the carriages are not modernized with things like bullet proof glass or armor. as to whether they are comfortable it depends which one you're in. some have a swinging action and they tend to make the occupants feel seasick. maybe that's why they are not using them before the wedding. ann? >> thank you so much. coming up, the alleged bully slammed to the ground by the boy he was tormenting speaks out. [ female announcer ] when allergies make your eyes itch,

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is still edl tv 11 news today in baltimore. -- this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> i am stan stovall. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> northbound to 95, clearing out at 195. that is where we had an earlier accident. all lanes now open. northbound 95 just past the beltway southwest. if you're heading out in dundalk at marcel avenue, there is an accident location to avoid. if you're going to head out on

southbound 83, look at the delays there. complete the jammed from middletown down to belfast. 795 at down 95, 70 minutes to get through the stretch. only seven minutes on southbound 95 from the 895 split to the fort mchenry. liberty, west side delays on the outer loop. they continue all the way down to 95 because of the northbound accident on a 95 it. these are outer loop delays approaching i-95 southwest. >> we see a little bit of fog and haze on some of the pictures there. that will be around for the next hour or so. temperatures right now in the upper 40's and low 50s. we should make it into the low sixties for high temperatures this afternoon. a mixture of sunshine and clouds. by the time we get into the late afternoon and evening hours,

rain in the suburbs. best chance of rain is tonight and during the day tomorrow. colder in the end of the week. >> we are back at 8:25 with another live update.

r we're back now. 8:00 on a tuesday morning. it's the 22nd day of march, 2011. you know it's actually beautiful right now. breezy but blue skies. temperature is 44 degrees. we'll hit about 50 today. then al says to fasten your seat belts. >> yeah. got a little thunderstorm activity, little snow, a little mess coming in here. >> is this a one-day event? >> couple of days actually. >> all right. >> out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with ann curry who's herele while meredith is off. mr. roker joins us as well. coming up we have a video that stormed the internet.

it was about bullying. >> a lot of people have seen this as one boy hits a larger boy and that boy reacts by slamming the smaller boy to the ground. the older boy said he's been picked on for years and now the boy who was body slammed said the video doesn't show the whole story. we'll hear from him coming up. this as even the obama administration is taking a look at bullying and talking about why he need to stop it. >> absolutely. when you see uncomfortable situations like that or you get into an uncomfortable situation, do you know what to say? >> it's difficult. >> it's hard. someone shares bad news with you and says, i have an illness or i lost a loved one or my job. some soy if you don't have something really good to say don't say anything at all. we have advice. >> you dole feel compelled to step up in that moment. want to get a check on the news?

natalie is at in news desk for me. >> good morning, once again. the u.s. military says both crew members from an american fighter jet that crashed overnight in libya are safe. jim miklaszewski has the latest for us. good morning, mick. >> reporter: good morning. the two crew members were on a mission when their f-15 eagle crashed into the desert. fortunately they were able to eject safely. one was recovered almost immediately. another after a search and rescue effort some time later. both are safe and on their way to europe. they say there was no sign of hostile action at the time. it was strictly a mechanical problem that forced the jet down. >> that's good news there. jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. thank you. a tokyo utility company says power lines have been hooked up to all six reactors at a damaged nuclear plant that's a major step toward restarting the cooling systems which were knocked off line by the devastating earthquake and

tsunami. earlier today officials say the protected water in a storage pool was dangerously near boiling. shell is the first company to win government approval for new deepwater drilling in the gulf of mexico since last year's bp oil disaster. shell plans to drill as many as three wells 130 miles off the louisiana coast. tucson shooting suspect jared loughner has been ordered to undergo a mental examination to certify he's competent forle trial. the judge said the purpose isn't to determine his mental state at the time of the shooting. the suspect in a maryland yoga shop murder is being held without bail. her arrest after a stunning turn of events. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams is in bethesda with the story. good morning. >> reporter: it's a crime that puts this up scale area on edge. two women said to be brutally attacked inside this high end athletic apparel store.

one was murdered. police say they made a discovery that turned the case upside down. word of the crime swept through this popular neighborhood north of washington, d.c. two women attacked by two men, police said, after closing time inside this store where they worked. one killed, the other tied up and sexually assaulted, discovered the next morning. >> both suspects, there are two of them, concealed their identities with masks and gloves. >> reporter: the murder victim was jana murray who was working on her graduate degree in business school. as members of her family joined friends in a memorial outside the store police searched for clues, guided by the account of the other woman there the night of the attack, brittany norwood. her story stunned the normally placid community. nearby shops began closing early so employees could leave before dark. security cameras went up. rewards were offered. but as police looked for two

male attackers they began to doubt what brittany norwoodle told th told them. they said her knife cuts were parallel to each other, characteristic of self-inflicted injuries. as for the way she was found investigators say they believe she posed herself in that position, hands tied above her head. as the investigation continued our analysis of forensic evidence wasn't supporting ms. norwood's story. in fact, it was taking us in a different direction. >> reporter: now brittany norwood is charged with murder. investigators say jana murray discovered that norwood was stealing store merchandise and confronted her about it. still in jail she appeared monday in court by video link as a prosecutor said she attacked murray so brutally that the wounds were, quote, too numerous to count. brittany norwood has a public defender who left court without

comment. >> thank you, pete. opening statements in barry bonds' perjuriy trial will be delivered today. he faces counts of perjury for testifying that he never knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs. he was indicted in 2007. a texas construction worker is recovering after receiving the nation's first full face transplant. 25-year-old dallas reens was disfigured in a power line accident. the transplant was performed in boston. dallas hopes the restored nerve connections in his face will let him feel his daughter's kisses. we hope for a good recovery there. 8:06 and now back outside to al with a check of the weather. >> thanks, natalie. we have fans on spring break. where are you from? >> indiana. >> having a good time? >> we're getting married tomorrow.

>> you are? >> not really. >> oh, not really. okay. having a baby? well, sort of. let's check your weather. temperatures in the southeast -- [ laughter ] >> -- anywhere from 15 to almost 20 degrees above normal. on the other side of the system, there's the temperature. l.a., six degrees below normal. a risk of strong storms in the northwest. wet weather in the pacific northwest. sunshine in the east. that's going to be changing as the system makes its way east. it will bring snow here. >> there could be a little bit of fog to start the day today. generally a mixture of sunshine and clouds. i'd ever expected near 62. there could

>> you don't even need a google map for that. matt? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, who was the real victim in the case of the alleged bully who was slammed to the ground by another student. the inside of the story is right after this. it's comparable to toyota. [ male announcer ] why do so many car companies compare themselves to toyota? maybe it's because toyota is the most fuel-efficient full-line auto manufacturer. with 25 vehicle choices highway rated 30 mpg or better. like the 50-mpg rated prius, america's best-selling hybrid. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance.

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details on a shocking case of bullying caught on tape. hundreds of thousands have watched as a teenager slams another child to the ground. now the boy who allegedly started the fight is defending his actions. natalie has more on this. >> the video went viral on youtube. it's a vivid and dturbing bullying incident unfolding before your very eyes. one of the boys says there is more to the story than what the videotape shows. it's the video that has people around the world talking. 12-year-old richard gail caught on tape punching 16-year-old casey hanes at school in australia. then casey fights back. body slamming richard on the cement. the video wentle wild online with people calling richard a vicious bully and casey a hero. nouri archdiocese is defe-- now

defending his actions saying he was bullied. >> he abused me first. >> really? >> yeah. >> what did he say to you? >> get to class, idiot, that kind of stuff. >> you didn't say anything to him? >> no. i'd just chase him. i didn't hit him. >> reporter: hanes tells a different story saying that richard attacked him unprovoked telling the australian show he came out of nowhere, grabbed me by the shirt and punched me in the face. casey says richard and his friend called me fatty and i wanted it to stop. richard is defending his actions. >> you're not really sorry at this stage. why not? >> because he started on me first. >> richard said he's been bullied most of his life and he snapped, taking it out on casey. >> do you understand that by you hitting that big boy he might have been feeling exactly like you are feeling now?

>> yeah. >> reporter: during the interview richard showed the first signs of remorse. >> i'm sorry that i picked on him. i didn't know he's been bullied his whole school life. i ended up getting hurt, bad. >> both boys have been suspended because of the school's zero tolerance policy regarding fighting. ann? >> natalie, thank you. susan lipkins is a psychologist who specializes in bullying. good morning. >> hi. >> as you were watching the tape i heard you sigh. >> yes. it's really difficult to watch that kind of violence. we hope that even when the victim stands up for himself he doesn't have to use that kind of violence. we have to support the victim in protecting himself. >> you're saying the big boy, you see him as the victim here, in part because there was a reason this videotape was rolling based on your looking at this case. >> right. we hear the kids on the side say

there is a history of him being taunted. >> called fatty. >> and ginger because he had red hair. there is a history here of being a victim. >> so the kids then according to what you understood, they were rolling on this so they could put it online showing all these kids or this particular little kid beating up a big kid. now that you have heard richard, the little boy who's now 12, talking about his own emotional response to this, he's also a child. it sounds like it's possible both of these children have been the victim of bullying and this is the outcome. >> very often we see the victim become the bully when they have a chance to do it. they do to others what's been done to them. we have a victim-bully cycle. this is an important tape because we see all the aggression happens to casey. it builds up and he finally lets go. the other kids who don't let go commit suicide or get to do something worse.

this is really important because you see the aggression moving in them both. >> what's particularly troubling is that in the subsequent reports we understand that casey's family didn't know how isolated he was. there wasn't a clear sense of how lonely he was because of all the taunting he said he endured. so what does this tell us as parents about really knowing our kids? at this age they're not telling us when we ask them questions. >> a lot of victims are telling their parents and parents are going to the schools and the schools aren't responding. we need everybody, bystanders, adults, parents, bus drivers, teachers to be intervening and to be taught how to intervene in order to prevent the bullying from escalating. >> you're telling your kid not to take a punch. you say get in there yourself and go to the school, go to the family of the alleged bully? >> no, no. the victim has to go to a trusted adult and hopefully to the parent and report it to the school. the school has to have a

reporting system so everybody -- bystanders as well as the victims themselves and their parents -- are reporting what's happening so they can intervene. >> so they have a voice. all right. susan, thank you so much. coming up next, how to find the right words to say when someone else's bad news leaves you speechless. that's coming up right after this. professional driver on a closed course. ♪ do not attempt at home. always wear your seat belt. ♪ and please drive responsibly. [ male announcer ] it's the most fun you can legally have. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers on the c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer i wear what i love, because expression means everything. ♪ too hot to trot some say i'm one-of-a-kind.

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or your choice of shrimp paired with wood-grilled chicken. all served with unlimited, freshly-baked cheddar bay biscuits. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 that fit into your budget and your lunch hour. only at red lobster. we are back at 8:20 kicking off a new series called "what do you say" when a good friend she tells you she's getting divorced or an acquaintance is suffering from an illness you can be caught off guard. how do you find the right words to say? good morning, ladies. nice to see you both. we have all been there. someone shares news. you're caught off guard and as the words come out of your mouth you know this is not what i want to say. why is it so hard? >> it's hard because people are

uncomfortable in uncomfortable situations. sometimes what happens to the friend, they fear might happen to them. they also may not be comfortable with emotional expression of difficult things. >> i think the thing to keep in the back of our mind is sometimes it's better to say nothing as opposed to the wrong thing. here's a situation where you are confronted with the information that someone lost their job. listen to someone said. ♪ >> the worst thing someone told me when i lost my job that was negative feedback was you're not the only one. >> i think that's a well intentioned comment. the person saying, in this economy, boy, there are a lot of people in the same boat. i feel for you. but it didn't come out right. >> it was diminishing the issue. that person lost a job. oh, my goodness, what you should have said is, are you okay? is there anything i can do for you? that would be the kind thing. that person wants to be heard

and acknowledged. >> i think in addition to what hair yet sa harriet said there is a sense of, gee, that must be difficult or you must be worried. trying to put yourself there and be supportive. >> we conducted a poll of things people think they should say when they hear someone is losing a job. 80%, i'm sure you will find something soon. 18%, nothing, change the subject and 2%, there are bigger problems in the world today. i hope that 2% isn't in my neighborhood. let's look at the next one. what's the best thing someone said to you when you were going through an illness. listen to this. ♪ >> my mom was very supportive. she said regardless of the decisions she would be there to support me as a mom and that regardless of the outcome she would always be there for me and she's keeping me in her prayers.

that helped me significantly. >> mom did the right thing. >> yeah. a lot of times you don't get that. a lot of times people will say, i know somebody else who was sick or when i was sick. people take information and turn it as if it's -- they are the ones having the issue. >> taking the focus away. she was great. >> it's not about us. it's about the person. she had three elements. support, in her prayers and she said, what your decision is, i will support you. she's not imposing herself on her. >> the next we have all experienced. you come up to someone and find out they just lost a loved one. listen to this. ♪ >> one of the worst things someone said to me was that in ten years no one will even remember him. she was trying to be helpful. but it was really hurtful. you know, i still think about it.

>> in what way was she trying to be helpful? i'm not sure. i don't know where that person was going with that. >> trying to diminish it again. be present with the person. be empathetic. she should have said, how are you? if you want to talk i would be happy to talk. also, if you haven't gone through it, you don't know what it feels like. say, i'm not sure how you feel, but i know you're hurting. >> in addition, we can say, you know, not to make it about you, but i know how difficult it can be to lose someone if you have lost someone. but also to say, you know, i'd love for you to talk to me about this person when you would like to. i would love to know about them. i'd love to know more about who they were for you as opposed to no one will remember them. the biggest fear we have is that we won't have a legacy and that we'll be forgotten. we want to help someone know we can help them remember the person. >> let's move on to the touchy

subject of divorce. especially if it's a bad break-up. it's not easy. here is what someone on the street said about divorce. ♪ >> the most useful thing someone said to me was move on. i think the worst thing someone said -- it might have been one of my parents -- was why are you leaving her? she's perfect. >> that's not what i want to hear at that moment. >> "move on" is interesting. for one person it may be encouraging. for somebody else it may be very, very discouraging. what you say to one person may not be appropriate for someone else. again, you have to do what's right for you and be with people who support you. >> don't give advice. just listen. >> don't say, hey, i have someone to fix you up with. wait a little bit. there is a cooling off period that needs to go on there. harriet, dale, thank you very much. tomorrow, how to deal with awkward social situations. we're back after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> we are still dealing with accidents. chilly this one at an odenton. pedestrian--- the latest one at odenton. a pedestrian-end of the crash. heavy delays on the west side outer loop. all the way down to it 95 on the south side, due to an earlier accident.

dundalk, what for crash. another one at honeygo boulevard. looking good on 95 out of the northeast. jammed conditions on the southbound harrisburg expressway. middletown down to belfast. 95, north of 195, and earlier accident in the with bell lanes the beltway southwest. that is gone, so it is flowing in, but now. -- following a lot better now. tony, over to you. >> still fog and haze in some areas. current temperatures in the upper 40's. 48 at the airport, 45 in jarrettsville. low 60's this afternoon. chance for rainshowers coming back this evening and overnight. it will stay dry during the day. high temperature near 53. then it gets cold. chance for a little light rain

or snow on thursday and saturday and sunday. >> we will see you back here at 55.

8:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 22nd day of march, 2011. sun is still shining brightly here in rockefeller center. we are enjoying moderate temperatures and a nice crowd of people gathered outside our studio. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry filling in for meredith

this week. natalie and al join us as well. coming up, we'll be taking cooking to the next level. >> this is great. since when would you use a centrifuge to make peas? one of the authors of a new book, it's all about modernist cuisine. it's more than a book. it's a coffee table. it's a book, a series of cookbooks that are coffee tables. they will use science to show us how to make great new dishes. >> isn't cooking really about science, about how things work together? >> science! >> we'll learn about that and we'll make something. >> is that ravioli? >> it's a striped mushroom omelet, i believe. >> that sounds good. >> it's an edible frame. >> also coming up, we'll take a look at the lives of one of our rising stars in american politics. his name is cory booker from newark, a new jersey mayor. he'll be opening up this morning

to jamie gangel about work and personal life and if he has his sights on a higher office. he's done so much for the community of newark. a lot of people excited about him. also, from jewelry to pet products, jill martin is back with deep discounts, just for you, our "today" show viewers. >> a wide range of items. >> coffee, too. >> can we say hi to marcie? she's the latest contestant to be voted off the ranch on "the biggest loser." hi, nice to see you. >> you look so nice. >> thank you. >> here's the problem. you reached your goal weight too early. >> that's a problem? >> so quickly that you had nowhere else to go. >> i don't think it was a problem. i think it was a great thing. i know that i was very proud to be the first person ever to reach their goal weight on the ranch. >> you started at 260 -- >> 238. >> when i left the ranch i was

162. >> the thing is the very important thing is that you were an athlete as a young person and you got a degree in something related to sports? i think like a lot of women once you have kids, you kind of -- >> lost focus. >> it happens to a lot of women. what are your thoughts of where you were before you lost this weight. >> i was very stressed out, to be honest. i felt like i was being strong but deep inside there was a lot of stress going on in my body. it was actually contributing to my weight gain. so, for me, you know, i would just say let it go. be yourself and take the time for yourself. take that hour and a half a day, hour a day that you need. just focus on yourself. >> you said something interesting. best thing that happened to you was leaving the ranch. >> yeah. >> they asked me if it was sad when i left the ranch.

i said, it was the best day of my life. it was the new beginning for me. it was the second part of my life. being on the ranch was just wonderful. >> i know your daughter courtney remain there is. how is she doing in? >> courtney's doing great. she lost 112 pounds before we got on the show. she's over the 200-pound mark as far as losing more than 200 pounds. i'm so proud of her. >> way to go, marcie. nice to have you here. >> time management is key for me. >> we want to remind people to check out the show, nbc's "biggest loser couples" right here on nbc tonight at 8:00. mr. roker, a check of the weather? >> let's show you for today. we have a risk of strong storms in the mid mississippi river valle valley. heavy snow in the plains. sunny and warm through the gulf coast into the southeast. tomorrow the mess moves east into the mid ohio river valley. rain and snow here in the

northeast. more heavy rain from california could lead to flooding. we have snow and potential blizzard conditions back through the plains. >> we are off to a quiet start, but there is a chance for rain coming back into the picture after 6:00 or 7:00. high temperatures expected in the low 60s. that's your latest weather. now let's say hello to mr. willard scott in florida. mr. scott? >> welcome to florida where the sun always shines. it's shining today on our birthday buddies from good old smuckers. take a look if you will.

from yukon, oklahoma, we have lula hawkins. made a sandwich for barry goldwater. a moment in her life. frances casway from hollywood, florida. an assistant air raid warden during world war ii. a lot of neighborhood people did that. kept us safe at night. cecila finnegan from rocky point, new york. her secret is eating well and having a great sense of humor. i concur, as we say. and searl watson from deer, ark. a proud world war ii vet, walks without a cane. straight as an arrow. charlotte stanley of boone, north carolina is 100 years old.

passionate school teacher. her students still come visit her from time to time. harrison new york's bert askwith is 100 years old. founded his own coach bus service. still runs the business and goes in to work. i telle y you, that's the secre. carmen appel is 104 years old. very independent and absolutely a delightful person to be with. giving is living. that's the motto. back to new york city where the sun always shines. >> mr. scott, thank you very much. when we come back, mr. roker gets a little bit of a send-up on jimmy fallon's show. first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:39 with one of the biggest rising stars of the democratic party. everywhere you look from oprah to facebook, bon jovi to brad pitt, newark's mayor cory booker is enlisting help for his troubled city. jamie gangel tried to keep up with the busy mayor. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. let's face it, most ambitious politicians may have looked for an easier city than newark but booker is not your usual politician. his high profile led to speculation he might be interested in running for higher office. we started by talking with booker about his latest challenge -- a personal one. >> good morning. how you doing? >> reporter: as if being mayor of newark isn't tough enough, these days cory booker has taken on a new challenge -- losing weight. why are we here at that time crack of dawn? >> i got up to 290 pounds.

right now about 275. it was ridiculous. if you want to make a change you have to be the change. >> reporter: it is vintage cory booker, driven, charismatic, a man on a mission trying to turn around one of the toughest cities in the country. >> i have no right to think anything else but newark, new jersey, is going to shock the world. >> reporter: it's not just talk as shown in this award-winning documentary series, booker has been known to personally patrol the streets. >> how are you guys doing tonight? >> reporter: find people jobs. >> can you get me a job? >> let's talk about it. >> reporter: even shovel snow. it's made him a celebrity with friends like bon jovi and more than a million followers on twitter. booker admits it's been a roller coaster with extraordinary highs like this grant for newark

schools from facebook founder mark zuckerberg. >> $100 million! >> reporter: and devastating disappointment. >> june, seven murders, july, eight murders. >> reporter: for a young, ambitious politician often compared to barack obama he could have picked an easier city. raised in an affluent jersey suburb, his parents were ibm executives. booker was an academic star, class president and all american tight end who went on to stanford. a rhoads scholarship at stanford. >> reporter: you have an expression that i think you got your b.a. and m.a. at stanford but -- >> my ph.d. on the streets of newark. >> reporter: if he sounds like don quixote. >> i want to believe in impossible dreams again. >> reporter: he's also pragmatic

supporting president obama's tax cuts for the rich. >> that was a high moment of his presidency. >> reporter: even though that $700 million could have helped you? >> we would be still in a stalemate. >> reporter: one of his closest allies is republican governor chris christie. >> i have watched cory do great things in this city and he's just started. >> reporter: one thing the 41-year-old mayor hasn't done -- settled down. you say you're a failure in your social life. >> yeah. >> reporter: but not for lack of trying? >> well, i think lack of prioritization. i believe in the concept of destiny, that there is somebody that is meant for you and i will find her, discover her. maybe she's already in my midst. that woman will have to have a charitable heart. >> reporter: as for his political future booker has three more years as mayor but like his friend the governor

he's often asked what's next. do you think about running for governor, senator, white house? >> it's presented to me on a regular basis. it's hard to get my mind around doing those things when there is so much work here to do. >> reporter: do you ever look at barack obama and say, could have been me? >> no. that was not a path i wanted to take. even on the most discouraging days i feel like i'm in the right place, right time, taking on the right fights. >> reporter: for now, booker says newark remains his inspiration. >> i would say my first professor is somebody we just buried last month. ms. virginia jones. i was a young man who showed up on her doorstep like john wayne. i'm cory booker from yale law school. i'm here to help you out. she looked at me in the way new yorkers do like who the heck do you think you are? she looked at me and said, boy, you need to understand something. the world you see outside of you will always be a reflection of

what's inside you. if you see hope, opportunity, love, the face of god, then you can help me out and we can make a difference. i remember looking at myself saying, okay, grasshopper, thus endeth the lesson. that's newark. >> he's truly a force and so committed. despite what he say, watch out. in a few years his friends say they believe they will see him on the national stage. ann? >> he is very impressive, jamie. thanks. by the way, i'm a twitter follower. coming up next, revolutionary new ways for you to cook your favorite foods. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back at 8:47. this morning on "today's kitchen," step by step, the cutting edge of cooking. a new six-volume set of books reveals science-filled

techniques. nathan is one of the thors and joins us this morning. good morning. >> good morning. >> the book is more than $600. is this for a chef, at-home cook or scientist? >> it's more people who love food and are curious about it. >> you take recipes to the next level. you use a centrifuge on one, a homogenizer on another. you're making a striped mushroom omel omelet. how do we start? >> this is a mushroom puree with dehydrated egg. we don't want it too soupy. >> okay. >> we'll spread this here on the nonstick pad. >> okay. >> a little bit more >> this is time-consumer, not something to make the kids before they rush to school in the morning. >> right. you can make the mushroom omelet without the stripes but the stripes are cool. >> okay. >> this is a pastry comb used in

pastry to put stripes on things. bring it across and there are the stripes. >> you put it in a framing device. tell me about the eggs. >> just normal beaten egg. our usual rules for a three-egg omelet, two whole eggs and one yolk. it improves the texture. >> you let it hit the statue la first so it doesn't ruin the stripes. and you are actually going to steam it. >> we steam it at 179 degrees fahrenheit. >> other than just because you can, what's the purpose of this? does it make it lighter? >> it makes it perfect every time. normally a french omelet is technique-intensive. it takes years to do it just right. using a very high heat, a second off here or there and you have a problem. >> this is what it looks like after the steaming. it makes a nice thing. it's easy to manipulate.

to make up the plate we have it here on the plate. we put some mushroom marmalade on. this is egg. it's already cooked, scrambled egg. >> looks like whipped cream on this thing. all right. >> now we are going to put a layer of the foamy scrambled eggs. >> how many of these do it get in an order? >> as many as you would like. >> all right. >> now we put on the herbs. >> okay. you make your little sandwich there. >> there you go. >> there is the striped mushroom omelet. tell me what we ee're making ne >> a vegan gelatto. this is pistachio which is a mild flavor. if you add the cream you lose the flavor. here we have ground pistachio turned it into pure mipistachio

oil and we'll use this homogenizer. >> just like i have at home. >> hit run. what we are doing is beating this up. a really good blender would also do this. >> it allows you to combine things that don't want to be combined. >> and turns it into a cream. it's getting lighter and lighter. if we did it for a while we would have something with the texture of a dairy cream. >> okay. >> but it's made out of pistachios. >> what do you do after you have combined it this way? >> add some sugar. turn it into ice cream. here is some. >> that's the gelato? >> yes. it has an amazing pistachio flavor. >> strong pistachio flavor. >> which you don't get if you made something with cream and eggs in it. >> this last one is a pea puree using a centrifuge. >> right. it starts as pea puree here.

we spin it in the centrifuge 40,000 times normal gravity. it separates out into almost a clear broth. then you can see there is a layer it shall ha-- hard to see that we call pea butter. it's really not a butter. but we make this into a dish. >> i will take a bite of that. the book is "modernist cuisine." thank you very much. we're back in a moment. i'll grab my centrifuge. this is "today" on nbc.

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okay. an odd pairing. weird al yankovich and cheerful weather forecasting. but one fan of jimmy fallon has a passion for both. jimmy brought them together. take a look. >> jimmy, let's look at what's happening in your neck of the woods. ♪ it's too late for sunny skies ♪ ♪ there's a good chance ♪ there's a good chance for sunny skies ♪ ♪ a good chance >> you know, i do play the accordion. >> you do? >> i do. >> and you have flowered shirts like that. >> could you wear your hair like that? >> i got that shirt from our

senior producer don. >> and the hair? >> i love jimmy fallon. i love what they come up with over there. >> brilliant. >> that's an odd pairing. >> yes. >> do you think there will be a woman involved? the idea that -- >> wait a minute. >> you're pairing two guys. >> weird al rokervich. >> i like that. >> very flattering. >> i have to say -- >> it's good to know i have ta stunt double. >> there you go. >> much more ahead on this tuesday morning. but first your local news and weather. >> that's right, coming up after this.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. it is set back in the recovery of the baltimore city police officer shot over the weekend. the detective on a when emergency surgery last night from complications from a gunshot wound on friday. he was shot on the 2400 block of harford road as he approached an armed man. investigators have identified a suspect, who has already served six months for previous handgun

>> now let's take a look at the

forecast with tony pann. >> it is going to be a pretty nice day today, probably the nicest out of the next several there is a chance for rain this evening. it should stay dry during the day high temperatures in the low 50s. a good chance for rain tomorrow. there could even be a thunderstorm. it gets chilly towards the end of the week. there will be a chance for a little light rain or snow thursday, saturday, sunday. >> we will see you back here at 9:25.